4. euthanize (v.) [yoo-thuh-nahyz] – to kill an animal or person to help them avoid suffering or pain

Example: Stray cats, or cats without
owners, are often euthanized because
there is no one to feed and care for them.

5. agitate (v.) [aj-i-teyt] – to cause someone to become angry or stressed

Example: Tapping the glass of the
aquarium may agitate the fish.

ArticleRead
the text below.

A 34 kilogram, three-year-old
mountain lion was shot by officials in Santa Monica, California after it wandered into a popular shopping
district in the vicinity of the beach area.

A janitor reported
seeing a mountain lion along Third Street Promenade, which is a part of town with many shoppers
and street performers in the daytime.

The Santa Monica
Police and the California Fish and Games Warden responded to the janitor’s
call. Fearing for the safety of the public, the officials trapped the animal inside the building and tried to subdue
it.

Initially, they
tried less lethal ways of subduing
the mountain lion. They threw pepper balls and directed water hoses at the
trapped mountain lion while waiting for the tranquilizer, a medicine that induces sleep, to take effect.

But none of the
techniques seemed to work. To stop the mountain lion from going back out in
the streets, officials had to euthanizethe animal.

Madeline Bernstein,
president of the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles,
says she and her organization were shocked by the way the situation was
handled. She disapproves of how officials agitated and scared the animal before shooting it.

Although Santa
Monica is located near mountains where wild animals live, Santa Monica police
officer Calisse Lindsey says that in her 24 years of service, she has never heard
of a wild mountain lion being found in such a busy part of town. Scientists
believe that the animal may have just been looking for a home.

Viewpoint
DiscussionEnjoy
a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A

·Do you think that the police did the right
thing by killing the mountain lion? Why do you think so?

·Should animals be protected even if they are
dangerous or pose a threat to the safety of people? Please explain your answer.

Discussion B

·Why do you think wild animals sometimes wander
to cities or to places with many people?

What
do you think people should do to prevent wild animals from wandering near where
people live?